Sweet Corn Cake with Spicy Chocolate Buttercream

Slathered in a chipotle chocolate buttercream, this seemingly standard yellow layer cake is anything but ordinary. Tender cake layers flaunt a beautiful yellow hue and sweet corn cake flavor enhanced by the smokiness and subtle heat of the buttercream for an unexpected flavor pairing that is both creative and curiously complementary.

This recipe is featured as part of the Deliciously Unexpected Trend of our Flavor Forecast 25th Edition.

Ingredients

Procedure

1. For the Corn Cake, preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment. Set aside. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/4 cups of the granulated sugar in medium bowl. Set aside.
2. Using sharp knife, cut corn kernels from cob. Place corn in large bowl. Hold corn cobs over bowl and use the back of a butter knife to firmly scrape remaining pulp left on cobs into bowl. Transfer content of bowl, including corn kernels and pulp to blender container. Add buttermilk. Cover. Blend on high speed until smooth. Strain mixture through fine mesh strainer, pressing with a wooden spoon or spatula until all liquid is squeezed through. (There should be about 1 cup/250 ml of liquid.)
3. Whisk buttermilk mixture, melted butter, vanilla and egg yolks in a large bowl. Set aside. Add egg whites to bowl of stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until foamy, about 30 seconds. With machine running, gradually add remaining 1/4 cup granulated sugar; continue to beat just until stiff peaks form, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Transfer to clean mixing bowl and set aside.
4. Add flour mixture to same bowl from stand mixer. Using whisk attachment, beat on low speed. Gradually add corn liquid, mixing just until blended, about 15 seconds. Scrape down sides of bowl. Mix on medium-low speed until smooth and completely blended, about 15 seconds longer. Gently fold whipped egg whites into batter. Divided batter evenly between prepared cake pans.
5. Bake 20 to 22 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pan on wire rack 10 minutes. Carefully invert pans on wire rack. Remove parchment and cool completely.
6. Meanwhile, For the Spicy Chocolate Buttercream, beat butter in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add chipotle and vanilla; mix well. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until well blended after each addition, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as needed. Add milk; beat until light and fluffy.
7. Place one cooled cake layer on serving platter and spread top with about 1/2 cup of the frosting. Top with second cake layer and spread with another 1/2 cup frosting. Top with remaining cake layer. Frost top and side of cake with remaining frosting. Decorate as desired.